Sponsor Night

On Thursday, November 29, 2012 the Highlandtown Train Garden held Sponsor Night. Many sponsors and their families came to be the first persons to see the train garden. It officially opens on Friday, November 30 at about 6:30 pm. The sponsors brought with them materials that were related to their businesses or associations. Cookies made by Carol Hartke and several kinds of cider were offered.

We Have Moved!

 On November 18, 2012 the Highlandtown Train Garden was moved from its storage area to Fire House # 41 at 520 S. Conkling St. Here the "engineers" are putting the final touches on the train garden so it will be ready for visitors beginning on Friday, November 30, 2012 from about 6:30 pm to 8 pm. For the hours of operation of the train garden for 2012 refer to those that are posted on this blog.



It's Almost Done

The "engineers" have been working feverishly to finish the train garden. They are almost done and will be ready to move the train garden to the Fire House next month.

Coolest Concept Art Cart Winner

Jean Pula and Dennis Moore worked for many months building an art cart for the Highlandtown Train Garden. On Octber 6, 2012 at the Art Cart Derby at Conkling Street and Gough Street this art cart won a trophy for the Coolest Concept. The trophy was presented to Jean and Dennis later in the day. Congratulations!

Work on the Train Garden is Progressing with New Ideas

The engineers are making some changes in the Train Garden. It will be more exciting watching the trains this year with trestles in the garden. And there will be a figure eight on the trestles with the trains crossing at a near miss, and a miniature train ride around the amusement park.

September 8, 2012 - The Thinking Has Begun

 The “engineers” – Bernie Deasel, Terry Maillar, Ted Baccala, David Eaton and Rafi Guroian – have begun planning the 2012 Highlandtown Train Garden. One of the most discussed change is to lower the entire Train Garden a few inches so that more children will be able to view it without difficulty. 

Raffle Winners!

Congratulations to the 2011 Highlandtown Train Garden Raffle Winners.  The Panera Bread Gift Certificate was awarded to Mark Morreson  of Baltimore.  Mark will be enjoying a free loaf of bread at Panera every month for the next year.  The Lionel Polar Express Train Set will be running around the Christmas tree at the home of Scott Kelly.  Scott picked up his prize at the fire house where he had his photo taken by Jackie Watts, editor of the Baltimore Guide.  Congratulations to the winners and thanks to all of you who purchased tickets.  We raised $1,203 in this year's raffle and those donations will go towards making next year's garden even more spectacular.  Our thanks also to Panera Bread and MB Kleins in Cockeysville. 

Thanks, G&A!

A special thanks to the G&A Restaurant for providing our train engineers and volunteers with gift certificates for some great hotdogs and hamburgers while they work at the garden.  Much appreciated!  Consider stopping by yourself for lunch or dinner when you visit the garden.  They are only a short walk from the Conkling Street Fire House and open M-Sat from 7 AM to 7 PM.

Treasure Hunt Challenges Young & Old

Pick up a copy of this year's treasure hunt as you enter the train garden.  Challenge yourself to find all of the items in the garden as you walk through.  Can you find the Coca Cola Truck making a delivery?  A hot rod car on a flatbed train car? Frank Zappa in a Santa Hat? 





This year we even have a picture version for the pre-school crowd.  They have 14 things to spot in the garden, but have no trouble finding their friend Thomas The Tank Engine.

Open New Year's Day!

It's not too late to see the 2011 Highlandtown Train Garden.  Thanks to our volunteers, the train garden will be open on New Year's Eve and on New Year's Day this year from 11 AM til 5 PM.   On December 29th & 30th and January 2nd & 3rd  stop by between 3 pm and 8 pm. The last chance to visit the fire house to see the garden will be Tuesday, January 3rd from 3 pm til 8 pm.   The raffle drawing for the Polar Express Train will be on January 1st.

More Visitors! and some Great Photos!

We like counting the number of visitors to the garden and this year's numbers are way ahead of last year's.  This week we'll be hosting a number of students and their teachers from local schools.  Thanks to all of the volunteers who have responded to the request for train garden greeters.  It's not too late if you'd like to help.  (see link to the right)  The garden is open every night this pre Christmas week from 3 pm til 8 pm and on Christmas Eve from 11 am until 5 pm.  We'll close Christmas day, but be back in business on Monday, December 26th. 

Thanks to Bob Dewey for the photo.  If you'd like to see 44 more of his great pictures, visit BOB DEWEY's PHOTOS

Patterson Park Boat Lake, Ducks and all!

Volunteer, Bernie Deasel, created the Patterson Park Boat Lake complete with a board walk,  island and wildlife.  I overheard a visitor on Saturday say "that's where I caught my first fish".  Great job, Bernie!

Original Pagoda Plans Used for Model

Thanks to the Friends of Patterson Park  for lending us copies of the original builder's drawings of the Patterson Park Pagoda, the detailing in the new model in this year's train garden is the real thing.  Volunteers Mark Supik and Jeff Levine painstakingly scanned, laser engraved, pealed, cut and sculpted the Pagoda from wood and acrylic.  Check out the the roof supports! 

D.J. Liquidators, formerly known as Epsteins

Longtime Highlandtown residents are thrilled to see Epsteins Department store back in Highlandtown.  Now occupied by D.J. Liquidators, the building between Eastern Ave & Bank Streets holds many memories for Highlandtown shoppers.  Today's busy DJ Liquidators always has more than 4 cars in its parking lot these days.  Thanks to the generosity of its owners, the building has served over the past year as the staging area for the train garden.  The entire display was stored there over the spring and summer, the new sections constructed there and then moved to Engine Co. 41 on Conkling Street just before Thanksgiving.  Thanks for your hospitality, D.J.'s! And thanks to volunteer, Terry Maillar, for recreating the building for the garden.  Even the fire escapes!  You'll also see Terry's handiwork in Patterson Park, more about that later.

Mr. Boh is Home

Only in the Highlandtown Train Garden will you find a scale model of the Brewery Buiding.  Thanks to the craftsmanship of volunteer Ted Baccala, the newest section of the train garden now provides a home for winkin' Mr. Boh.  Great job, Ted. Hours and hours of work, I'm sure!

We Miss You, Joe!

 

Great to have you visit the garden last weekend, Joe.  We miss you!  We've got a chair at the raffle ticket table ready for you as soon as you're up on your feet.  We haven't broken any ornaments so far this year, so hurry back. 

The Hometown Tourist on Dan Rodricks Midday

It was great to hear Highlandtown's Susan Allenback, the Hometown Tourist on Dad Rodricks Midday on WYPR Thursday.  She was talking train gardens and had great tips for finding all of the best ones in the area.  If you missed the show, you can hear it here.  You'll hear her sing the praises of the Highlandtown Train Garden, especially for the new additions of the local features of the Brewery Building, Epstein's (DJ Liquidators) and Patterson Park.  She also suggested this website for finding other great gardens in the Baltimore area.  Grandpa's Holiday Train Garden.

RAFFLE PRIZE - Lionel Polar Express Train Set!

Again this year, we'll be selling raffle tickets to raise money for next year's garden.  This year, we've got a great prize for the model train lovers out there.  An O Gauge Lionel Polar Express Train Set from M.B. Klein in Cockeysville, complete with transformer, track and all of the accessories.  Here's a link to a description of the train.  Tickets are $1 each, 6 for $5.  You can buy them from the volunteers at the table as you leave the garden.  The drawing will be on January 1st and the lucky winner will have a great train running under their tree next Christmas.  Thanks to Panera Bread in Brewers Hill, there will be a second prize this year.  A gift certificate for a loaf of bread each month for the next year.  If you've tried their breads, you know what a treat this will be.  So.... buy those raffle tickets!

Sneak Preview Opening Delights Sponsors

 The night before the official opening of this year's train garden, sponsors and their families had a chance to catch a sneak preview of the garden.  Over 40 Highlandtown businesses sponsored this year's garden.  When you visit, look for their signs on storefronts and their billboards along the tracks. They made this year's garden possible.  Visit their websites (see the list to your right) and better yet,  visit their businesses over the holiday.   We thank them all!